California Offshore Race Week returns for year two

California Offshore Race Week © Matthew Pierce / www.ultimatesailing.com

The California Offshore Race Week will return for its second year featuring the combined efforts of Encinal Yacht Club, San Francisco Yacht Club, Monterey Peninsula Yacht Club, Santa Barbara Yacht Club and San Diego Yacht Club.

From May 27 to June 3, these five clubs will join forces to produce a week-long schedule of races in a tour from Northern California to Southern California with stops in Monterey and Santa Barbara. Participants will have time along the coast to relax and meet up with friends and family.

The 2017 California Offshore Race Week will bring together the Spinnaker Cup, the Coastal Cup and the third running of the SoCal 300. This race week is unique because competitors have the option of completing the entire week or they can choose to participate in singular races. There are currently seven boats registered for all three legs of the race week, with additional boats doing individual segments.

Back to compete in the full California Offshore Race Week is Simon Phillips on his Farr 40, Astra. Phillips, from San Cruz Yacht Club, competed in last year's inaugural race week and was a previous Coastal Cup racer in 2015.

"To me, it's the perfect series of races to kick off summer. Condensed into a tight window to accommodate our busy schedules - we get the chance to experience all of the challenges of too much and too little wind while racing along the picturesque California coast. We are all looking forward to the exhilarating downwind conditions and finishing in the San Diego sun. We're packing the sunscreen!"

There are a number of new boats planning to participate in this event, including Mark Surber on his J/125 Derivative from Coronado Yacht Club. Surber has raced in many offshore races in Southern California, but this will be his first time racing the SoCal 300.

"Southern California has some of the best sailing, with the greatest conditions being offshore on a South longitude from Point Conception. The SoCal 300 is one of few events that takes us there. We can't wait for the fantastic Santa Barbara hospitality and challenging offshore racing!"

Also for the second year, the SoCal 300 will partner with SailOnline, an online simulation of the race using the polar of a Santa Cruz 52. Participants will navigate a virtualized course with start times and waypoints that imitate the real race. There were 205 people representing 35 nations that participated in the 2016 virtual SoCal 300 from the comfort of their own homes. Competing online is great way for sailors to sharpen their skills for real life sailing.

The fee for entering the race increases after Friday, May 19. Anyone interested in entering the race should visit www.offshoreraceweek.com. The schedule and logistics pages are periodically updated to provide the most detailed information as possible to help competitors plan their week.